Global Recruiting

As a recruiting firm, have you considered working internationally but haven’t “pulled the trigger?” Maybe you’re a solo recruiter with limited resources and don’t think you can take on international recruitment. Or maybe your firm doesn’t want to have to navigate the legalities and regulations of another country. Yes, these can be challenges, but the fastest and easiest way to surmount them is to work with a trading partner who has experience in international recruitment and understands the local laws.

A valuable international recruitment partner will be able to find top talent, screen the candidates, and manage the interview and hiring process. This can save you time and money, and help you satisfy all of your clients’ needs.

Today’s guest blog is from People 2.0,a leading provider of back-office solutions for staffing and recruiting organizations, nationally and globally. We offer a variety of support services, including payrolling, payroll funding, risk management, etc., and serve as a strategic resource in helping you efficiently and profitably place talent. www.people20.com

Recently, Glassdoor—one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites—polled more than 1,000 U.S. job seekers, asking about their biggest frustrations with the interview process, and what specifically makes them more likely to drop out.

While reasons like potential employers “cancelling or postponing interviews,” and “not responding in a timely manner,” were amongst the top issues identified by job seekers, the number one grievance according to 50% of polled participants? Lack of information about a job’s total compensation package, including pay and benefits.

With SIA reporting a 48-year low in unemployment rates and temp jobs rising by nearly 11,000 in September 2018, it’s clear that a candidate-driven market is here to stay. In knowing this, job seekers are more likely to feel emboldened to be more selective when looking for a new job—taking into account things like compensation and an organization’s willingness to disclose those requirements. Any company not willing to share a salary range up-front could suggest potential red flags, and a waste of time for candidates.

But as a recruiter, what are you supposed to do when a hiring manager won’t give you an official salary range, or asks you not to disclose all compensation details right away? Since benefit conversations are just one piece of the puzzle, it’s necessary to look into a few other factors that can help positively steer the recruitment process in a way that meets candidates’ needs, and provides recruiters with a bit more control.

Total Transparency and Feedback are Key

In the same Glassdoor survey, when asked what makes a positive job-application experience, 58% of job seekers noted clear and regular communication, 53% stated they want a company to define clear expectations so they could prepare well, and 51% said getting feedback from a company, even if negative, would all make a helpful impact.

The key problem in all of these instances is a breakdown in communication. Whether it be not hearing back about a job or not having the process properly explained, candidates aren’t likely to stick around if they feel they’re being left in the dark. Regardless of high-salary potential, candidates will move onto something else if they don’t know where they stand in the recruitment process. As the liaison between candidates and your client, make sure that you follow up with both often to retain engagement.

Gender Makes a Difference

When surveyed, 57% of women reported that not receiving enough information about total compensation packages was one of their biggest issues, compared to only 44% of men. Further, 43% of women articulated they would pull out of the recruitment process if they read a negative review from an employee, versus only 28% of men who would do the same.

With ongoing conversations around pay equality and new platforms emerging that speak to female job seekers (e.g. InHerSight), the results aren’t completely shocking, but definitely worth taking into account. While you cannot control the gender of applicants, you can certainly tailor your approach to fit your audience. By getting to know more about what a candidate is looking for in a job outside of monetary requirements, you can play up other benefits your client offers, as well as specific aspects of the role you think would appeal to them.

Shorter Interview Processes are Desired

82% of job seekers expressed they would want the entire interview process to take less than a month, while as many as 40% revealed they’d prefer less than a week. With the fastest time-to-fill averaging a minimum of 8 days or more worldwide, there is a clear dissonance between what job seekers desire and the current state of the industry.

While meeting all candidate expectations around the length of the interview process is unlikely, there are steps you can take to make sure it’s as quick and efficient as possible. Encouraging hiring managers to agree to a firm but flexible-as-needed timeline for an open requisition, as well as having them provide all of the necessary information upfront to attract the right talent and properly guide recruiter-candidate conversations, can make a big difference in cutting down on wasted time.

Ultimately, while all of these aspects can make for a better overall job-seeking experience, if a candidate asks about compensation, it’s best to be as open as possible. The reality is, there are companies that are starting to recognize the importance of salary transparency, and those that don’t, risk missing out on quality talent. Instead of evading candidates’ questions surrounding the topic, try guiding your clients on ways to highlight compensation-package differentiators that make the position/company more appealing (e.g. while a salary range might be slightly below market value, perhaps the available healthcare options are comprehensive and affordable).

At the end of the day, if a client’s salary range and benefits do not meet the needs and requirements of a candidate, they’re going to move on—regardless of when in the process they find out. To avoid diminishing your chances of working with a quality candidate in the future, honesty really remains the best policy.

Today’s guest blogger is Taufik Arief with People Search Indonesia, based in Jakarta. People Search Indonesia serves clients in FMCG, pharmaceuticals, IT, telecommunication, general manufacturing, and fashion & retail. Taufik currently serves on the NPAworldwide Board of Directors representing Asia.

A moment of truth. I was at Los Angeles International Airport when my eyes caught a newly released book: Blue Ocean Shift written by W.Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. I bought and read it during my 20-hour flight to my home city, Jakarta. Read the rest of this entry »

Many employers attempt to first use internal resources instead of looking at external recruitment companies. In markets that the employers know well and have social media connections, perhaps it is possible to avoid independent recruiters or at a minimum reduce the dependence on outside agents. When the needs of companies expand beyond a local market and into countries where there is no physical presence, recruitment agencies may be the only way to achieve the results that are needed. As an international agency ourselves, we have prepared a few questions to consider when contracting an international agency.

1. How does your fee structure work?

There are many different approaches that recruiters use. If you have a real and immediate need opt for a firm that requires paying some sort of engagement fee or retainer so that you know that your opening will get some attention, or a devoted team and number of hours immediately put to the search. This will shorten the duration of the search and turn up candidates more quickly.

2. Does your firm have partners and connections where we are hiring?

It is often desirable to make a connection to a local recruiter with international connections rather than searching for a recruiter in the market where you have a one-off need. Develop a relationship with someone in your time-zone, who speaks your language, where you can meet them for coffee or have a meeting to hold them accountable for results. Have a relationship that is more than a single transaction. Opt for a relationship that gets leveraged around the world for your benefit, but keeps you grounded right where you are.

3. What is the most common source of the candidates you place?

Locating names is easy; selling people on making changes to their lives as significant as leaving one employer and moving to another is not easy work. It is even more difficult for the hiring company to be seen as an impartial coach or motivator of change. Sometimes the recruiter can do what even very talent hiring managers cannot. Also, look for recruiters with connections to a group of peers. You want the best candidate available not just the best candidate in their database. More like the best candidate in 20 or 30 recruitment companies’ databases. Or 500.

5. Can you tell me about international placement you have done or your affiliates/partners have done?

Examples of success are a good predictor of future success. Not every recruiter you connect with will have partners and connections and be able to share success stories. The ones who are capable will know others who are successful and have made international placements.

6. Does your firm belong to an international network or association of any type?

Ask what organizations they belong to. If they do not belong, then this show a lack of commitment or focus on what you are defining as necessary to support your search. They may have developed networks and connections independently…if so, they need to share some details on how they remain relevant in the market they hope to search for you.

There are many more you can add. In the end, it is about building a partnership and developing trust. The big things to take away are: look at the need creatively, you may find someone locally that has connections where you need to be, look for the ability to communicate examples of personal/partners success stories, and find someone who is doing recruiting not just list building.

I’m doing some planning for 2019 and received sticker shock when I saw a quote for services I’m going to need next year. It’s forcing me to completely rethink the way I purchase and use this particular service, as the cost is about 50% more for next year. (And last year the price went up about that same percentage from the previous year.) As we’re nearing the end of the year and recruitment agency owners are beginning to work on their 2019 budgets, you might want to take a closer look at the prices you’re paying for recruitment tools and other business services. Here are some things you might spend money on in your business, in no particular order: Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s guest blogger is Joe O’Connor, CEO and Co-Founder of Vizi. Instantly transform your text based job posts into visual experiences that can be shared anywhere with Vizi. Talent attraction should always be an authentic brand story that promotes opportunities instead of transactions.

A high demand for specific skills with fewer job seekers results in a candidate-driven market. While this is a plus for candidates, it can be tricky to navigate for recruiters and hiring managers. We’ve outlined ways employers can take more control when this occurs: Read the rest of this entry »

Manpower Group has released its fourth-quarter Global Employment Outlook survey results. Overall, global hiring is expected to remain steady in the upcoming quarter. Modest job gains are expected in 43 of the 44 countries surveyed. Large hiring surges are not expected anywhere in the upcoming quarter. Tariff negotiations and other changes among global trading partners are causing some challenges for employers. Other notable highlights from the survey are noted below. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s post is from Nerissa Reyes from AVANTI People Partnership International in Manila, Philippines. Nerissa is the immediate past chair of the NPAworldwide board of directors. AVANTI People Partnership provides executive search and staffing for various multinational companies across functions. In the fast-growing “business process outsourcing” arena, AVANTI provides cross-border recruitment solutions on a global scale.

During a future of work conference, we were asked this question, “If you were a car, what type of car would you be?” The answers included traditional cars from the reliable Volkswagon Beatle to the flashy Lamborghinis. The best answer was a driverless car, an UBER type…the car of the future, enabled by satellite, reducing human intervention. Read the rest of this entry »

As the third quarter winds down, here are some global recruitment news headlines to start your week. Labor and skills shortages around the world are contributing to a variety of workforce changes from increased salaries to more freelancers to overall difficulty in hiring and retention. Skilled recruiters will be needed as employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find, hire, and retain the talent needed for their critical openings. Read the rest of this entry »

Our guest blogger today is Michael Neece, the CEO of InterviewMastery.com – the world’s most widely -used job interview prep program. Recruiters use these video programs to increase placements and save time. More than 54,000 people in 73 countries have used Interview Mastery to advance their recruiting businesses and careers.

Traditional phone screen interviews are being invaded and replaced by the use (or misuse) of software technology. For better or worse, job applicants must now deal with technologies that further dehumanize the hiring process. As if the applicant tracking systems were not frustrating enough. Read the rest of this entry »

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For more than 60 years, NPAworldwide has been connecting independent global recruiting firms to facilitate split placements. NPAworldwide is the oldest recruiting network of its kind, with an international membership of recruiting firms located throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas.